


All Knowledge is Good Knowledge

by mandaree1



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Books, If I need to add other tags please don't hesitate to tell me, Limb Regrowth, Limb loss, non-canon locations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-25 07:41:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13829598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandaree1/pseuds/mandaree1
Summary: Eclipsa takes Star to the Library of All, a place where one's most wanted book is their's, so long as they're willing to pay the price.





	All Knowledge is Good Knowledge

"He's the opposite of friendly. He's _unfriendly_."

The inflection in Eclipsa's voice told Star that while she was addressing the large hooded man they were approaching, it was intended for the entire building. She turned her head slightly, a single purplish-gray eye on her, to make sure she'd understood. Star did her best to look blank, though she really wasn't made for the blank life. It kind of came out more of a half-scowl, half-bug-eyed grin.

"What's up with this place?" Star asked once they'd passed, her face slipping back to its normal look. "It looks like a library."

Eclipsa put a hand to her mouth to stifle a chuckle. "It  _is_  a library, dear."

"Oh." Star glanced around. The walls were as smooth as an undisturbed puddle, with the odd crystal poking out for aesthetic appearances. Bookshelves sprawled out endlessly before them, twisting and winding into a sort of maze of reading. A quick peek upwards told her there was at least a second floor of the same. "What kind of library?"

That lukewarm smile was back. "I don't know what you mean."

The princess trailed a finger across some spines, feeling the old paper and bindings shift. "Somehow, I don't think you'd sneak out of your tower and into another dimension just for a regular ol' library. Not to mention you took me with."

"I did no such thing," she tutted. "You asked to come, and I saw no reason to leave you behind."

"Well, yeah. Mom would _kill me_ if I just let you disappear from Mewni by yourself."

"I don't claim to know Moon well enough to give a proper response to that," Eclipsa said flippantly, snatching a random book from the shelves. "This is the Library of All, dear."

"The Library of All?"

"Yup."

"Does it really have it all?"

"You bet it does!" Eclipsa's eyes lit up as she held the book to her chest. "Here it is. I started this book back... well, before. But I never got to finish it."

"Really?" Star found herself leaning in. "Is it something super secret?"

"Oh, no, nothing that serious." She waved it off, and Star thought she might've been blushing a little. "It's just a little  _indulgence_  of mine, really."

Eclipsa flipped the book around with a sheepish smile. The title read "Passions of Xanxor."

"Oh," Star said, wondering how she should feel about that. She  _really_  didn't want to explain to her many-greats-grandmother how she knew that title, either, so she decided not to mention it. "If this place is such a big deal, why is it so empty?"

"Hmmm?" She pulled a chair out and gestured for Star to sit. "Oh, that. Most people don't like to pay the price for the books."

"The price?"

Eclipsa nodded to a large tentacled creature with one of its many limbs fastened to a simple stone fixture. The hooded figure brought its axe down, slicing it cleanly off. The creature roared with agony, but its hand immediately grew back, and it left the library from whence it came.

"Holy corn," she whispered. "That's so hardcore."

"Perhaps," Eclipsa grunted. "In the Library of All, there exists a book that an individual wants most. It differs per person. If you're willing to pay that price, you can take it with you."

"Can't you just read it here?"

She shook her head, holding up Passions of Xanxor. "This isn't my most wanted book. If it were, it would be locked. Only paying the price will unlock it." Eclipsa tapped the side of her head. "Not everyone can handle that kind of temptation."

"Eclipsa?"

"Yes, dear?"

"You've read your book, haven't you?"

Eclipsa smiled at her. It wasn't lukewarm this time. It was genuine. "You know what I say, Star."

"All knowledge is good knowledge?"

"That's the one." She held up her right hand. "There's some amazing limb regrowth spells out there."

Star squinted at it, confused. "But... I mean, if I was running some amazing library, wouldn't you want a price more, I dunno, concrete? Some creatures can regrow limbs. Others can just get it regrown."

Eclipsa shrugged. "It's their choice. If they want to give their books away at such a criminally low price, I say let them."

The princess looked around. The other tables mostly sat empty, with piles of books sitting around to be picked up and read. "Eclipsa?"

She didn't look up this time. "Yes?"

"How do you know which book is your wanted book?"

"It'll come to you, dear. Just close your eyes."

Star closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. If she tried hard enough, she could feel her own magic, deep, deep below, sitting in her bones and other yucky places. If she tried even harder, she could even feel Eclipsa's, and the way it playfully reached out to poke her sensors told Star she hadn't gone unnoticed. When she opened them, there was a thick hardback perched on the table in front of her, reading "The Unbiased History of Mewmans and Monsters."

"Wow," she whispered, reaching out a shaking hand to touch the golden letters. "Is that even possible? For someone to write about the past... _without_  bias?"

"Not technically. But Fate has no sides, and they write smash hit novels." Eclipsa looked over, frowning. "I expected something a bit more... bubbly."

Star was enthralled. "If I knew how it all happened, I could fix everything waaaaaay more easily."

"Ah. I see."

She peeked at her through her bangs. "You said you could repair my arm, right?"

"I could," Eclipsa agreed, sounding a little unsure. "Are you really sure about this?"

"No." Star pushed the book back with a sigh, fingers shaking. "But a princess has to make sacrifices for the good of the kingdom, or whatever."

She closed her book. "If you say so, dear."

"Done already?"

"No, but I doubt you want to sit and wait and get riled up while I read a rip-roaring romance novel."

Star approached the stone fixture with no small amount of trepidation, Eclipsa calmly keeping pace beside her. Upon closer exception, it reminded her a bit of an anvil, with a groove carved into the stone to place the arm in and a simple leather bond to hold it down. She swallowed again, then forced her chin up and a bit of a jump in her step. If nothing else, River would be proud of her posture. She handed over the book, then set her hand down.

The click of it locking made her pupils shrink. "Oh, this was a mistake." Star glanced at Eclipsa. "Can I take it all back?"

"Of course, dear. Just let me..." Eclipsa grappled with the bond, but found she couldn't lift it. Her brow creased. "What in..." She took her glove off and tried again, the deep purple of her fingers sinking into the leather like veins. It didn't budge. "This could be an issue."

The hooded figure lifted its axe. "Out of the way."

Eclipsa scowled. "She said no."

The hooded figure swung away, but she blocked him with a single purple hand. Something dangerous and icy crept into her voice. "She said  _no_ ," Eclipsa repeated.

"Move or be cut in half," the hooded figure growled.

Eclipsa didn't budge. Star something dark and scary flit across her face.

She didn't think Eclipsa let herself out very often, preferring to keep that sort of thing to herself, but she was in danger of seeing something very emotional if she didn't step in. Star grabbed her arm. "I didn't go through all the trouble of getting you a trial just for you to get killed in the middle of nowhere."

Eclipsa didn't argue, setting her hand on her arm. Star opened her mouth to remind her of her gloves, but then the creeping darkness entered her arm, numbing it. Something in her gut flip-flopped as she nodded, squeezing her eyes shut.

Star felt nothing. She saw nothing. All she did was hear- the crash of the axe hitting the stone; a horrible wet smacking sound as something fell to the floor; a drip-drip-drip that she knew, deep down, had to be her blood. She went to open her eyes, but Eclipsa rested the palm of her hand over them.

"Remember, dear," she murmured into her ear. "You've touched pure magic. It's settled inside you like a seed. Do you feel it?"

Something surged at the reminder. "Y-Yeah. I think I do."

"Good. Now...  _make it grow_."

Star focused as best she could, letting out a quiet grunt of exertion. Something spiraled out of her wrist like a tree trunk, twisting and knotting and forming a new hand with a glow of yellow. Eclipsa watched in awe, slowly lowering her hand. Star turned the new appendage over, inspecting it, and found her thumbnail was a bright yellowish color, like she'd recently put a coat of paint on it.

There was a click. The Unbiased History of Mewmans and Monsters fell open. They watched as her name magically appeared on the inside cover.

"Next," rumbled the hooded figure, unconcerned.

Eclipsa helped Star to her feet. The girl was shaking from head to toe. "It's alright," she comforted as they stumbled away together, the book clutched in her free arm. "All knowledge is good knowledge, dear. This horrid ordeal won't be for nothing."

**Author's Note:**

> I got a Zootopia prompt, and used it to explore! Eclipsa's 'all knowledge is good knowledge' thing struck a chord with me, and I wondered just how far she'd go for it. Then it turned into a Star and Eclipsa thing. Whoops.
> 
> -Mandaree1


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